June 5, 2014

Intel’s SkyLake Project Aims To Make PCs Completely Wireless

One of the downsides of the connected world is that those connections have required cables -- lots and lots of cables -- which often make for a twisted rats nest of dusty and tangled wires. Intel now has a plan that will cut some of the cords and also ease another problem – the need for a charging outlet for all those devices.

On Wednesday at the Computex trade show in Taipei, Taiwan Intel announced this new project – codenamed Skylake – which could eventually eliminate all cables from the PC. Kirk Skaugen, senior vice president and general manager of the PC Client Group, demonstrated a wireless display, docking station and charging features that would remove what had long been mandatory cables in the typical PC environment, Cnet reported.

The key to this is a new high-speed protocol, the WiGig standard, which could be used as a short range "docking" technology for devices such as laptops. It could instantly create a connection to a display as well as peripherals when that device is placed within range.

It can be swapped out to a standalone mode when removed from the small localized network. Intel has stated that WiGig could deliver speeds of up to 7Gbps using the 60GHz frequency band.

Intel is reportedly developing WiGig modules for laptops, desktops and even high-resolution displays. It could have the potential to replace HDMI and DisplayPort technologies – and Skaugen said these wireless modules could be integrated into PCs as early as next year.

PC World noted that Dell already offers WiGig as a bridge between monitors and PCs, but PC World's Agam Shah added that the next step would be to get the WiGig modules into the computers.

The technology could be very much on that track. At its Computex presentation Intel gave a demonstration of the wireless charging technology, which is also based on the A4WP (Alliance 4 Wireless Power) standard Rezence that could even be installed under a table surface and still provide the juice through up to two inches of wood!

This wireless charging technology, which transmits power via magnetic resonance, could also be used by multiple devices at once, reducing the need to ever fight over outlets. Skaugen demonstrated how the technology could be used to power a laptop, phone, headset and tablet all at the same time.

It has notable advantages over traditional inductive charging in that it can project power over a great distance as noted even through a table. A4WP has the backing of several computer companies including Asus, Dell, Fujitsu, Lenovo, Logitech, Panasonic and Toshiba.

A4WP is not alone in developing wireless charging. The Power Matters Alliance (PMA) is also developing wireless charging technology, while "Apple has shown interest in magnetic resonance charging in the past, notably filing a number of patents surrounding the technology," Apple Insider reported. "Apple's implementation would deliver power up to one meter away, which the company calls "a realistic and practical approach" to wireless charging."

According to Intel, the Skylake technology is on track for a 2015 release, with products set to hit the market in 2016.